A pilot and two passengers are dead following an air crash in dense bush country approximately 22 kilometres south of Cat Lake. The remote First Nation is located 180 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout.
Transportation Safety Board spokesman John Cottreau confirmed all three people aboard the Lockhart Air Services Cessna 310 twin engine aircraft were killed in the incident.
"The Transportation Safety Board is deploying three investigators to the scene," Cottreau commented Monday by telephone from Gatineau Que.
Thunder Bay regional OPP are coordinating the release of further information, the identities of the victims have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
"The investigation is ongoing. The cause of the crash is undetermined," stated OPP Sgt. Shelley Garr.
OPP confirm the charter flight departed Sioux Lookout airport Friday evening. Lockhart Air Services contacted the Canadian Forces Rescue Coordination Centre at CFB Trenton when the flight did not arrive at Cat Lake. An intensive search and rescue effort was launched and continued over the weekend. Civilian members of the Canadian Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) in Thunder Bay also assisted in the aerial search.
Cat Lake First Nation Chief Matthew Keewaykapow and band council confirm the downed aircraft was located in "rugged and inaccessible" bush country west of Hopley Lake, Sunday evening.
"Search and Rescue was able to locate a weak emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal from the location late this evening at about 5 p.m. and was followed up by Search and Rescue parachuting into the site," states the news release.
Military search and rescue personnel aboard a C-130 Hercules aircraft from 435 Sqd. in Winnipeg assisted in the search effort coordinated by 424 Sqd. at CFB Trenton, Ont. Search and Rescue Technicians parachuted from a Griffon helicopter to the crash site.
"We regret to inform extended family residing outside Cat Lake First Nation and the surrounding communities that the crew of one and the two passengers are confirmed deceased and that immediate family have been informed," states the band's press release. Funeral arrangements will be announced pending completion of the investigation.
On Monday, Cat Lake band members were assisting search and rescue personnel, Ontario Provincial Police, Northern Nishnawbe Police Service and the Ontario Coroners office in the effort to extract the victims from the crash site.
